Wagon-brake



(No Model.) l

- R. J. MOPARLAND.

WAGON BRAKE.

No. 3031029. A Patentedmg-5,1884.

. il F591. Y Fl f' E G E l? C V.Z ,f Ql o Q Inven for:

brakes.

r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT J. MCFARLAND, OF PARIS, TENNESSEE.

WAGON-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 303,029, dated August 5, 1884.

Application tiled January 18, 1884, (No model.)

To @El whomit may concern,.- l

Be it known that I, R. J. MCFARLAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paris, in the county of Henry and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic IagoirBrakes, of which the following is a speciiication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Figure l represents a plan view of the shafts or thills and front wheels of a vehicle to'n'hich my improvements have been applied. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

My invention relates to automatic wagonbrakes in which the dra-ft necessary to draw the wagon keeps the brakes ofi', while any retardation of the movement of the wagon by the animal hitched to it instantly puts on the Means are also applied for preventing the action of the brake when desired.

71th the above objects in view, my improvement consists in the following construction and arrangement of devices, which will be first fully described, andthe points of novelty then pointed ont lin the claims.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention7 I will now proceed, in connection with the drawings, to describe it in detail.

A represents the forward axle of a one-horse carriage,provided with shafts or thills B,hin ged in the usual way. To the cross-bar of the thills, to which the single-tree is commonly attached, are pivoted two levers, I I, by bolts K K. The inner ends of these levers project past each other, and lie one above the other at said ends. Y

l? is a short centrally arranged crossbar secured upon the crossbar to whichv the shafts are attached. The bar l? has two raised lugs or projections, b, at either end, which limit the movement of the levers I in both directions by the contact therewith. For this purpose the inner ends of the levers are made preferably of disk shape. The bar P has a hole, L, pierced therein, serted the pin M, to prevent the action of the levers, and consequently keep the brakes oft.

The outer ends of the levers I I carry curved attached the brakeshoes pivotal connection is also arms, to which are D I). A swiveling in which may be in;

made with the rods C C at the points a a. These rods, extending from the outer ends of the levers, pass forwardly along thetop sides of the thills, and have an endwise motion through the staples F F.

E E are irons-one attached to each rod C to which the sliding eyebolis G G and H H, snap-hooks7 or other suitable connections are secured for attaching the traces and holdbackstraps.

My invention dispenses with the single-tree and permits the use of a short trace or tug. Both the traces and holdback-straps may be provided with snap-hooks to enter the eyes in the fastenings G G Il H.

My invention is of especial use in rolling countries, where there are many hills. The brakingpower applied is in direct proportion to the steepness of the ygrade of the road. A steep hill, by throwing an increased weight upon the horse, at the same time increases the braking-power, the brakes being taken off the instant that the weight or momentum of the vehicle ceases the pull upon the holdback` straps. The brake-shoes are arranged in front of the forward wheels. The present device is designed more particularly for one-horse vehi cles.

l-'Ia-ving described my inventiomwhat I claim as new, and desire tosecurc by Let-ters Patent of the United States, is-f 1.v In an automatic wagon-brake, a pair of levers arranged upon the t-liill-frame end to end, and pivoted to the fra-me at or near the midlength of the levers, in combination with the bar P, having the lugs or projections b, the whole arranged for operation as set forth.

2'. The combination of the levers I I, ar ranged as described, the bar I), having lugs b, and a pin or stop for vprevent-ing the move ment of the levers when desired.

3. The combination of levers I I, arranged end to end, bar I), having lugs b, and the rods C, having suitable fastening devices.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' ROBERT' J. MGFARLAND. 

